Closure device for feed chambers for finely divided materials



CIS. 13, 1953 3 H. WOOD ET 2,654,924

CLOSURE DEVICE FOR FEED CHAMBERS FOR FINELY DIVIDED MATERIALS Filed Jan. 4, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 13, 1953 D. H. woon T AL 2654924 CLOSURE DEVICE FOR FEED CHAMBERS FOR FINELY DIVIDED MATERIALS Filed Jan. 4, 1950 5 SheetsSheet 5 x.vramvay Patented Oct. 13, 1953 CLOSURE DEVICE FOR. FEED CHAMBERS FOR FINELY DIVIDED MATERIALS David Howimrd Woud, Barnt Green, and Herbert James Roe, Knowle, England Application January 4, 1950, Serial N. 136,766 In Great Britain J anuary 6, 1949 6 Claims.

The invention relates to feed chambers and the 1ike through which finely divided materials such as sand, pulverized coal, cement, or the 1ike are fed to machines and provides an effectve means of making a quick air tight sea1 against a closure for the exit opening of the feed chamber.

The feed chamber may, for example, be applied to the feeding of foundry sand or sand mixtures to a sand chamber of a core blowing machine; and the closure means may be a pivotal or slidng cut off plate or disc which can be manipulated, or mechanically operated, to bring it into and out of closing position across the discharge mouth of the feed chamber.

The object of the invention is to provide pressure meanssurrounding the feed chamber exit opening which can be brought to bear upon the cut Ofi plate or disc when that is in position across said opening and thereby to force that p1ate or disc into sealng contact with a surface commodating a skirt or extension of the piston which surrounds the exit opening of the feed chamber and can be caused to bear upon and seal a closure member for that opening.

Other objects and features of construction of the invention will be apparent from the general description of the appended drawings which i1- lustrate, by way of example, a feed chamber assembly suitable for attachment to the sand chamber of a core blowing machine -for fou ndryuse.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view en line II of Figure 2through a feed chamber assembly of a blowing head of a core blowing machine.

Figure 2 is a plan -ofthe surrounding casting that supports the feed chamber on the core" blowing machine. with the feed chamber removed.

Figure 3 is an levation of the cut 01 plate shown in the assembly seen iriFigure 1, removed from the assembly.

Figure 4 is a plan of the cut off plate.

Fgure 5 is asection on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

In this illustrated example the feedchamber I mayconveniently consistf an externally cylindrica1 casting or forging with an internal bore slightly conical as at H from the 1ower end to a minimum diameter within the upper end at l2.

of two diierent diameters: an upper and larger bore !8 within the wal1 l and alower smaller bore IS: surrounding but spaced from the feed chamber exterior. The change in diameter produces a circular step or ledge 20 at an intermediate point in the length of the outer casting and the upper surface of ths step is the bottom of the annular space l4 below the external flange 3 of the feed chamber. The external surface of the outer casting preferabl3 follows approximately the internal bore with suitable strengthening webs 2| between the underside of the step 20 and an annular attachment flange 22.

The lower ends of the feed chamber 10 and the stepped surrounding casting terminate at 01' about the same level and the annular external flange 22 of the surroundingcasting is of substa'ntial thickness and forms an attachment means for securing it by bolts or the liketo an upper circular face of the sand chamber of the core blowing machine (not shown) or to a rigid annular attachment plate 23 capable of beng secured to the said machine and having a central opening 24 coaxial with that of the feed chamber. Around the feed chamber Ill is fitted a piston "25 for working in the annuiar space I4 below the eXternal flange I 3 of the said chamber and in the relatively deep but narrow annular spa oe 26 betweenthe wall of the chamber and the smallerbore l9of theouter cylindrical casting, a skirt 2'lprojecting from the piston is a sliding fit.

Fluid nlet passages 28 and 29 supplied from an external sourde are arranged to 1ead com presscl -air to the upper and lower parts respectively of the annular space I4 which formsth cylinder for the afcresaid piston 25 so that the piston can be forced doWnwardly and upwardly as desired by appropriate control f the supply to the passages 28,29. The cylinder for the piston diameter within the upper end of the chamber to the lower end of the chamber, an imperorate closure device for the exit opening mounted for rotation from an operative position where it is beneath and axially dispiaced from the exit opening to an inoperative position where it is angulariy dspiaced and. entirely removed from the exit opening, and pressure means surrounding and mouhted for axiaily directed sliding movement relatively to the exit opening and adapted. when the closure device is in its operative position, to be moved in an axia1 direction to bear on said closure device and seal the exit opening.

4. Feed chamber assembly or the supply of pulverised and fineiy divided material to machines comprising. in combination, a feed chamber open at the top and having an exit opening at the bottom, an imperforate pvoted closure device for the exit opening irom the said chamber, a surrounding casting spaced from the exterior of the said chamber, attachment means at the base of the said casting, a cylinder defined by the surrounding casting and the exterior of the feed chamber, an annular piston within the cylinder and movable axialiy under fluid pressure to -bear on the closure device fox the exit opening from the said chamber, and packing rings to which fiuid pressure may be appiied for sea1ing the spaces between the piston and the exterior of the feed chamber and interior of the surrounding casting.

5. Feed chamber assembly for thesupply of pulverised and finely divided material to machines comprising a feed chamber open at the top and. having an exit opening at the bottom, a cyiindricai exterior wal1 of the feed chamber, a removable closure device for the exit opening. a sealing ring secured in the under surface of the closure device, a casting surro'unding and spaced from the cylindrical wal1 of the feed chamber and supporting the said chamber. an inner cyiindrical Wall of the casting and the exterior wall of the chamber defining a. cyiinder, an annular piston guided in said cylinder, an attachment flange at the base of the surrounding casting, and a rigid attachment plate secured to the attachment fiange and having a central opening co-axial with the exit opening of the feed chamber, said attachment flange and rigid attachment plate defining therebetween a space for accommodating the removable closure device below said exit opening with the sealing ring of the removable closure device hearing upon the upper surface of the rigid attachment plate so that, when the piston is forced down on to the c1osure device, an air-tight closure is made around the exit opening of the chamber.

6. Feed chamber assembly for the supply of pulverised and divided material to machines comprising an attachment p1ate adapted to be secured to the machine and having a central opening therein, an imperforate pvoted closure plate adapted when in closed position to cover the opening in said attachment plate, said c1osure piate being adapted for displacement towards or away from said attachment p1ate. a. hollow feed chamber surmounting saidattachment plate and spaced therefrom to permit pivotal movement of the closure plate. a bore in the feed chamber co-axiai with the attachment plate opening, the upper and 1ower ends of said bore defining materiai feed and exit openings respectively of the chamber. a casting surrounding and spaced from the feed chamber and supporting it in postion above the attachment piate, cylindrical exterior and interior walls of the feed chamber and surrounding casting respectiveiy, which wai1s confront each other and define an annular cylinder, and an axially displaceable annular piston mounted in the cylinder where it s1idably engages the confronting walls of the feed chamber and casting, said piston having a skirt which, when the piston is axialiy displaced in the cylinder towards the attachment plate, projects from the oylinder and bears upon the closure plate in its closed position to force the iatter into abutment with the attachment plate.

DAVID HOWARD WOOD. HERBERT JAMES ROE.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 319,155 Wallington June 2, 1885 681.168 Graham et al Aug. 20, 1901 1.231.400 Mackall June 26, 1917 1.667.690 Hamm Apr. 24, 1928 2.042.772 Fahlbeck June 2. 1936 2.166.484 Carlson Juiy 18. 1939 2.380.647 Henderson July 31. 1945 

